The Physician Assistant (PA) position is located in the Operative Care Division of the VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon. The following duties are to be carried out under the supervision of the supervising physician of record or a designee agent of the supervising physician. The major clinical duties of the PA are; but are not limited to the following:

1. Serves as an agent for the supervising physicians. Orders written by the PA are to be considered as coming from the supervising physician. 2. Responsible for the initial screening of patients in the outpatient clinic. A screening may include history, physical exams, ordering laboratory tests, MRI's, CT scans and x-rays, electrocardiograms, EMG's and other routine diagnostic tests. May institute appropriate treatment for minor surgical problems. 3. Prescriptive privileges will follow the guidelines enumerated in VACO Circular 40-84-112. The prescribing of drugs for inpatients is restricted to routine medications and DEA Class II, III and IV controlled substances. The PA will be authorized to prescribe all routine medications as listed in the VA Pharmacy Formulary with the exception of the chemotherapeutic agents, anticoangulants and special medications restricted to approval by another section or department. 4. The PA will initiate evaluations and therapy for patients as outlined in their physician assistant practice description on file in Surgical Service and may write prescriptions for medication as commensurate with their VA prescriptive privileges. 5. Assists in the screening of in-hospital consultations received, may be written or verbal, as outlined in (2), and helps determine the appropriate disposition. 6. Performs procedures such as simple laceration suturing; venipuncture; arteriopuncture; urinary catherization; suture removal; administration of IV fluids; administration of intramuscular, subcutaneous and intradermal injections; joint aspirations; administers local nerve blocks. administration of local anesthetics and corticosteroids; performs lumbar punctures(s); cleansing and debridement of wounds, and other procedures in which the PA is trained as needed. 7. Conducts pre-operative workup for surgery patients. 8. Conducts surgery patient and family teaching/education to provide continuity of care. 9. The PA will be available for assisting in the operating room as needed. 10. Attends recurring ward rounds with assigned surgery team.

a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3, g, of this part.)b. Education. The candidate must meet the following:(1) Graduate of a PA training program, or of a surgical assistant program which is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) or one of its predecessor organizations; and(2) A Bachelor's degree from an accredited PA training program or in another health sciences related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.c. Certification(1) Current and continuous certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is required for employment in VHA.(2) Recent PA graduates who are eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) may be employed by VA on a temporary basis (38 U.S.C. 7405), for a period not to exceed two years, as provided in VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section G, Paragraph 5.(3) If a PA's NCCPA certification is suspended, revoked or expires, the PA must be removed from the occupation which may result in termination of employment.d. Physical Standards. Must pass a pre-employment physical. f. Restriction. Under no circumstances may this occupation be used to employ physicians or other health care providers who do not meet the applicable qualification standards for their occupation. All PAs must meet the requirements in paragraphs 2a through f above.

Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-8 Physician Assistant (PA) Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

Physical Requirements: Position is subject to a pre-employment physical and medical examination. This position requires: Light lifting, under 25 pounds; light carrying, under 25 pounds; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (8 hours); standing (8 hours); repeated bending (1 hour working closely with others; working alone; protracted or irregular hours of work and occasional emotional strain.)

The following documents are required by all applicants:

Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.1. Resume (required)2. VA Form 10-2850c- Application for Associated Health Occupations: https://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-10-2850c-fill.pdf(required) 3. SF-50- (Required) If you are a current or former federal employee this document is required if using this to support eligibility for the position. please submit most recent non-award SF-50 (Displays grade, tenure and title. Federal employees may be able to access their SF-50 through the eOPF https://eopf.nbc.gov/va/)

If you are a preference eligible Veteran you need to include the following documents in addition to the above required documents:4. SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, available at http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx, if applicable5. Veteran Administration Letter of Disability Rating, If applicable.6. DD Form 214 (Member 4 copy) Showing Type of Discharge

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. For more information, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.